On the Scene with Murph Dailey

Elizabeth “Murph” Dailey and her husband, Fred Dailey, sold their construction business in California before moving to Hawaii in 1952, but they didn’t come here to retire. They went into the hotel business, and Fred helped found the Waikiki Polo Club.

The club played its matches in Kapiolani Park. When the city tore down the stables in 1963, the couple moved everything to Mokuleia and the Waikiki Polo Club became the Hawaii Polo Club.

Fred Dailey died in 1995, but Murph, her son Mike and grandson Devon continue his legacy as the “First Family of Polo” in Hawaii. She will celebrate her 99th birthday on Thursday and then preside over “Tailgate for Operation Toybox,” an exhibition match by Oahu’s top female polo players Saturday in Mokuleia (for more info, visit hawaii-polo.org).

JOHN BERGER: How long have there been enough women playing polo to have complete teams?

MURPH DAILEY: In the United States it began in the 1970s and by the 1980s it had taken off.

JB: What inspired you and your husband to invest the time and money it took to start the Waikiki Polo Club in 1957?

MD: My husband loved to play. He got involved with Peter Perkins, the highest-rated player ever to come out of Hawaii, and they organized the Waikiki Polo Club. King Kalakaua had had a polo field in Kapiolani Park so it seemed to be the right place for it.

JB: It took much longer to drive to the North Shore in the 1963 than it does now. Didn’t it seem risky to transplant polo from Waikiki to Mokuleia?

MD: I guess it did, but we were committed already. We got some nice people involved and they brought all their friends out.

JB: Who are some of the most memorable players who’ve played in Mokuleia?

MD: Prince Charles is one of them, of course, and the Sultan of Brunei, the Maharajah of Jodhpur and the 10-goal player Bob Skene — 10 goals is the highest ranking in polo — but we’ve had great players from a number of countries in Asia, Africa and South America.

JB: This is completely unrelated to polo, but in 1956 you and your husband opened the Waikikian Hotel. Did you expect it would become the beloved landmark it was?

MD: I think so. My husband was very intrigued with design, and he was very talented. The design was based on some of the longhouses in the Pacific with a parabolic roof and tiki decor and lots of plants. And, of course, the Tahitian Lanai. It was lovely.

Reach John Berger at jberger@staradvertiser.com.